Wallpapers

As of the 1.2.7 firmware, users can now change the wallpaper as they like. This is done simply by storing a 320x240 png file in the root of the onboard memory and naming it "wallpaper.png". Skybleu has started a thread with a very nice collection of wallpapers where you can get some inspiration of download one you like

Managed to get some time w d highly anticipated DX50, so here is my review:

Built:

Solid, good finishing, the case of the battery cover sits very nicely with no squeaky sound, tactile buttons is makes it easy to navigate. Brush metal is welcomed, as it is more resistant to scratches. Slightly smaller than iPod classic. Basic resolution for the screen.

Sound signature:

Sparkling but smooth highs

Tight and impactful bass

Very good separation

Wide soundstage

Good volume control

Compared to Fiio X3, the DX50 has:

Better presentation of highs n soundstage.

Better details retrieval.

Slightly laid back (similar to dx100)

X3 lack depth n width, separation is not as good as dx50.

Software:

Some of my .m4a tracks cannot be played.

The track is running, but there's no sound coming out. When I skip tracks, (those that are playable) the same thing happens. Need a restart to rectify it.

Long scanning time, w/o indication of progress.

Verdict:

The DX50 sounds very nice, coupled with tactile buttons, SD card options and removable batteries. Price performance ration is also very reasonable. Base on my impression of the DX100. There is some similarity between the 2.

Not that X3 is inferior, since it cost lesser, my expectations of X3 is lower as well. If the comparison is strictly base on my preferred sound signature, I'd give my vote to DX50.

CREDITS:SpOrTsTeR79 of HWZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkcc

Tone is quite neutral if not a bit on the bright side. I've commented in a couple PMs that it sounded more like from an ess9018 chip than a WM8740 and those familiar with DX100 tuning should recognize this "iBasso house sound" immediately. Will get more time listening before I give more comments on the sound quality as I'm quite high on everything now and want to let the excitement subside first.

Build quality is way beyond my expectations given the price difference against x3 and ak100. Will comment on sound, UI, operations etc when I had a chance to spend more time with it. But first 15 mins of usage things are looking very optimistic. The brushed aluminium are of high quality and all the buttons look sturdy and feel nice to touch. Construction is top notch and the curves on the back make it very nice to hold. Never liked to hold the ak without the leather case with its angular shape. Dx50 feels overall more ergonomic to me.

The DX50 from iBasso Audio does seem like a direct competitor to the hugely popular Astell & Kern AK100 and the high value Fiio X3. Released at a price point of $239, it is slightly more than the X3, but much less than the price of the AK100. As you probably know, all three DAPs are based around the same Wolfson 8740 DAC chip and while some people believe that what matters is the implementation of the chip, I had previously believed that the DAC chip played a larger role – until I heard the DX50. Almost every DAC/DAP that I have heard which uses a Wolfson has sounded warm, but this doesn’t sound warm at all, but very neutral, leaning a bit towards the brighter side.

This really surprised me, as well as how good the DAP sounded out of the box. For $239, I have absolutely no complaints about the packaging, accessories or most importantly, the sound quality of the DX50. There were some issues like songs with apostrophes not playing, and that caused quite a stir in the DX50 thread, but I’m sure that iBasso will fix it soon. Another thing to take note in this review is that it is running firmware v1.1.5 and iBasso have an odd habit of changing the sound with each firmware update. I will try and update this review once in a while when a new update comes out. Here are the specs:

**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated with iBasso in any way and I will try my best to give an unbiased review.

Unboxing & Accessories
The unboxing experience was very pleasant indeed. It did not feel like a cheap product and the packaging was very appealing. While it was simple and cheap, it made the appearance much nicer. I can’t but help comparing the packaging of this to the X3’s...

I really didn’t expect the DX50 to come with many accessories considering its low price point and it didn’t come with a lot, but it did include most of the important ones. It came with a USB charging cable, coaxial cable, soft case and a screen protector for me, but other people got a warranty card as well. Not sure why I didn’t get one, but I should be able to get warranty if something happens.

Design & UI
First of all, I really like the design and the look of the player, but I also know some people who think that it is very ugly. The pictures from iBasso’s website really don’t do it any justice. The body and back are a type of brushed metal and very similar to the material used in the AK1X0s. I also love the 3 gain settings which will come in handy if you are planning to use it to drive more inefficient headphones. Build quality is very impressive indeed but the back scratches quite easily. I did put some clear book contact on the back and while it doesn’t scratch, it does look pretty bad. Another downside is the jack is one of that tightest that I have ever encountered and I feel like it might damage the plugs of my headphones. Overall, I am quite impressed by the design of the DX50 but there are some quirks.

I don’t feel like it is entirely fair to judge the UI of the DX50 right now, but I will for the people who are interested. Keep in mind that there is a very high chance the iBasso will improve it over future firmware updates. Ok, so the scrolling and everything is great, and it is easier to use than my HDP-R10, but there are pretty annoying issues like not playing songs with an apostrophe in them and skipping about ½ a second from the start of some songs when you forward or in some cases, select a song. I have no idea why this is, but it is certainly very annoying. Some other issues include listing the same album several times if there are different artists (fixed in firmware v1.1.6) and the fact that there is no playlist option (fixed in v1.2.0) as well as the apostrophe issue (fixed in firmware v1.1.6). I hope that iBasso rectifies these problems quickly.

Edit: The UI in v1.2.2 is extremely smooth and the user experience is way better than on the first firmware. The first firmware was incredibly buggy and now just about all of them have been fixed.

Sound

Edit: After I updated to firmware 1.2.2 I think that it is time to update my review.

DAC Section
As mentioned above, the DX50 has a Wolfson WM8740 chip in it. This chip has been immensely popular in DAPs since the AK100 was introduced. It may not have the same micro-detail retrieval as the reference sabre chip (ES9018) found in the DX100, but the DAC section of this is more forgiving and IMO more musical and enjoyable, but that does not mean that it is not detailed because it is detailed, just not as much as more sterile and cold DAC chips based on the sabre chip. iBasso have created a very nice DAC section that does performs very well and is extremely listenable and a bit fun.

Amplifier Section
There is plenty of power for IEMs, but just not enough juice for headphones like the HD600. The amp is very neutral and resolving with great separation with IEMs, but with my HD600, it struggles and you can immediately hear it. It can easily get to listening volumes, but there is just not enough power to make them sound nice, resulting in them sounding lifeless and boring. However, with IEMs, the amplifier does incredibly well and separation, detail, dynamics etc are well above DAPs that I have heard at this price range. To sum up, the amp is great for lower impedance headphones and IEMs, but is not a good choice for harder to drive headphones.

Separation

This section was only added in after firmware v1.2.2. Previously, the separation was particularly good, but it has improved in the new firmware. Starting off with vocal separation, I used the song "Some Nights" by fun., which is my go to track to test vocal separation. The DX50 passed with flying colours on the latest firmware and you could hear the person on the very right very clearly, something that you could not do on the previous firmwares. The level was almost up to HDP-R10 level, but not quite there yet. I think that due to the mids coming a bit forward, the vocal separation has benefitted greatly.

Some Nights Album

Moving on to instrument separation, I can also say that it does very well, but it is slightly behind vocal separation. The instrument separation has really improved with the wider soundstage. On congested tracks it can still get a bit hard to make out some things, but those are hard to make out on much more expensive DAPs so the DX50 does very well. Previously, the separation wasn't great, but it has substantially improved with the new firmware.

Soundstage & Imaging
The soundstage isn’t very wide, but it is quite deep and height isn’t bad either. This is the area that the DX100 absolutely trumps it, but that is to be expected, costing over three times as much. The soundstage is bigger than the X3 though, which is probably seen as it’s biggest competitor. Previously I put the soundstage as one of the cons, but that was because I was listening to the HDP-R10 before so that's the reason I though the soundstage was small.

Edit: On firmware v1.2.2, the soundstage actually opened up significantly. Even though it is still smaller than the DX100's and it's Japanese brother, the soundstage is big enough to finally list my HDP-R10 on the for sale forums, a thing that I certainly did not foresee when I got the DX50.

As for imaging, it does incredibly well, but it does not have that pin point imaging that higher end DAPs have. You can easily tell where instruments or the singer(s) is/are on a normal track, but in more congested tracks, things start to get a bit “muddy”. Still, it is great for its price and I am really not being fair at all by comparing this to TOTL DAPs.

Edit: Once again, imaging has improved a lot of firmware v1.2.2 and everything is much clearer and imaging is much better on congested tracks, partly due to there presentation being more spacious.

Random, but here is 00lunar's picture of the DX50 (bottom left) with various other DAPs.

Bass
This section has changed the most after the firmware update (from v1.0.0 to v1.1.5) and the bass has increased in quantity. Whether this is a good or bad thing is your call. IMO, this made the sound more neutral and fuller. I did find it more appealing and it did not drown out any details. There seems to be more sub-bass rumble as well. The bass quality and detail is absolutely awesome and I certainly did not find this in similarly priced players like the X3 and RoCoo BA DAP. Each drum hit sound very real and has great speed to it. It is a bit heavy, but it does not have bloated bass at all. The bass was the highlight for me, but only on the updated firmware since I found the bass lacking on the original firmware that came with the DX50.

Edit: The bass has actually reduced a tiny bit in quantity in v1.2.2, but detail and layering have been improved. I have emailed iBasso asking them to slightly bring the bass up in the next firmware and they told me that they would work on it. Anyway, the bass is still very fast with good impact and it makes the previous firmwares' bass sound a bit thicker than it should.

Midrange
I am quite unsure of what I think of the mids yet since it does seem like on the v1.0.0 firmware they are a bit thin and a bit recessed, and on the v1.1.5 firmware it seems a bit warmer than neutral. I do feel like I am leaning towards the v1.1.5 firmware more because it suits what I listen to more. I would say the original firmware is better for female vocals while v1.1.5 is better for male vocals. That aside, the detail in both vocals and instruments are exceptional and singers are dead centre and you feel like you are in a concert. Pianos sound very good on v1.1.5 and string instruments are great as well, but I feel like the original firmware may be a bit better.

Edit: Wow, the mids have really changed quite a lot from the previous few firmwares. In the first few firmwares, the midrange was perhaps a bit recessed and the sound was somewhat V shaped, but now I feel like the DX50's midrange presentation has become the highlight. It is slightly forward, and pairs very nicely with my UM Miracles. Vocals also sound clearer. I love the mids on this firmware!

Treble
The treble is a bit rolled off on v1.1.5 and a bit over prominent on the original firmware. If I had to pick one, I would go for the updated firmware, but I do wish iBasso will make the treble in between the original and update firmware. On the v1.1.5 firmware, cymbals sound great but have a slightly short decay bit still have great detail. Woodwind instruments sound very pleasant and while the detail levels are good, they do not reach those of TOTL DAPs, not that I am expecting it to. The treble instruments are extremely well rendered and while they were sometimes harsh on the original firmware, they are never harsh on the updated firmware.

Edit: When I first got this the treble seemed slightly too emphasised and made some songs quite harsh. Luckily, iBasso have listened to everybody's suggestions and toned the treble down to a more neutral level. The detail and nice decay is still there, just without the harshness.

The new firmware update has corrected the apostrophe option at last! They actually play properly now and the album issue has been sorted as well, but still no playlist. I've been informed that it will be added in the next firmware update. As for the sound, the bass seems to be a bit tighter and punchier, but that can just be me because the comparison is based on memory. Treble seems to be better even though the quantity doesn't seem to have changed. Everybody should update to v1.1.6; it is by far the best firmware yet.

v1.2.0
The new firmware update has added a playlist, but it takes ages to add songs to the playlist. Some people have said that the sound has become smoother, but I'm not sure because I did not use it for a day before the firmware update. The text has become a bit weird though and instead of it being "Game Of Love" and then in the artist section, "Daft Punk", it is now just "Game Of Love - Daft Punk in the title. Not a huge problem, but it is a bit annoying. The 1/2 second skip is not corrected and according to iBasso, won't be corrected in future firmwares. The skip is due to the pop or something like that. If there was no skip, there'd be a pop at the end/start of each song.

v1.2.2

Updated this firmware this morning and I've used it for a few hours now. Upon the first listen, I immediately thought that the soundstage improved quite a bit. Previously, the DX100 & HDP-R10 trashed it completely, but now the gap becomes smaller, small enough to make me list my HDP-R10 for sale. The midrange seems to be a bit more prominent, and sweet, pairing terrifically with both the 1plus2 and my Miracle. Hiss seems to have been improved quite a lot for me. The battery meter also finally works and doesn't last half an hour on the last 2 bars. Apparently the playlist function has been improved, but I haven't tried it yet. One thing my HDP-R10 does better is the bass section, which despite all the firmware improvement s and sometimes sonic improvements still does not have bass with such authority. This firmware update has taken the DX50 one step up and with the way that iBasso is going, I might be changing this review to 5 stars. Best firmware by a long way! I have a few suggestions for iBasso though - please do put a battery percentage meter and please do somehow automatically add half a second to a start of a song so there is no delay.

v1.2.3

After I updated my DX50 to v1.2.2, I noticed that even though basically all areas improved, the bass quantity decreased and I sent iBasso an email asking them to please increase the bass level in the next update. They said that they would work on it and I haven't heard anything about it sine then. Today, I updated the firmware to v1.2.3 and to my surprise, the bass has been taken up a level and now has great impact and the sub-bass is very powerful, but never overpowering at any time. Now it is not lacking bass at all. On top of that, I also found that the separation has improved a bit and it now does better on congested tracks. Imaging has also improved slightly. As for soundstage, I'm not sure whether there is any change, but I feel like there is a slight increase.
A few suggestions for iBasso: please put a + on the side of the playlist so that it is easier to add songs to the playlist and make an option to have playlists arranged in alphabetical order.

v1.2.5

Finally, I decided to update to v1.2.5 even though I heard some dodgy things about it on the DX50 thread. Quite a few people complained that there were problems with freezing but fortunately, I didn't encounter any of these problems. My first impression was that the bass hit harder and was a bit muddy and not as fast as the already slightly bass heavy v1.2.3 firmware. Personally, I prefer the bass from the v1.2.3 firmware because it is faster, more detailed and is generally cleaner. The midrange feels more recessed and vocals don't have that sharp clarity that they had in the v1.2.3 and v1.2.2 firmwares. Treble is good and not much is changed. The deal breaker for me was the crappy separation and small soundstage. I prefer the v1.2.3 firmware by far and l would not bother updating if you haven't already.

Summary

My DX50

iBasso have certainly created a winner DAP at just $239. While there are still some flaws, do note that this hasn’t even been out for 2 weeks so do give iBasso a chance to correct those problems in future firmware updates. Currently on firmware v1.1.5, it is slightly warm while still being very detailed. Well done iBasso, and thanks to anybody who took the time to read this review.

Edit: I have changed this review to 5 stars because I absolutely love the way the DX50 sound in firmware v1.2.2. The SQ has truly been taken up another notch, especially the soundstage and clarity.